Southeastern Oklahoma State University
10/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/09/2024 09:57
Former SE president Sean Burrage named next Chancellor of Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
OKLAHOMA CITY - Sean Burrage, who served as the 20th President of Southeastern Oklahoma State University from 2014-19, has been selected as the next Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE), as announced at a special meeting Wednesday.
Burrage will assume the role of Chancellor-Elect on November 4 and take office as Oklahoma's 10th chancellor on December 2, 2024, succeeding Chancellor Allison D. Garrett, who has served in the office since November 2021 and will retire December 1.
Burrage is the fourth Oklahoma Chancellor with ties to Southeastern. The first Chancellor - M.A. Nash - taught at Southeastern, the second Chancellor - E.T. Dunlap - graduated from Southeastern, and the eighth Chancellor - Glen D. Johnson - served as president at Southeastern from 1997-2006.
"This is a great day for higher education in the state of Oklahoma and for Southeastern, and I applaud the regents' selection of Sean Burrage as our next Chancellor," said current Southeastern President Dr. Thomas Newsom, who also serves as the chair of OSRHE's Council of Presidents. "As someone who is intimately aware of the operations of all of the sectors of higher education in our state, and someone who is a true friend of Southeastern, I'm certain that he is the right choice to advance the priorities of OSRHE and provide exceptional opportunities for the students of Oklahoma.
"I'd also like to thank Chancellor Garrett for her leadership of higher education in Oklahoma over the last few years and congratulate her on her successes. She has served our students with honor and has been a champion for their success. I look forward to our continued collaboration during the transition period and congratulate her on what she has been able to accomplish before her retirement."
Currently serving as vice president for executive affairs and chief of staff at the University of Oklahoma, Burrage brings a wealth of experience in higher education, the private sector, and the state Legislature. In addition to his past presidency of Southeastern, Burrage was managing partner with the Taylor Burrage Law Firm in Claremore. He served two terms in the Oklahoma State Senate, representing Rogers and Mayes counties, during which he served as minority floor leader from 2011-14.
"I am honored to have this opportunity to serve Oklahoma," said Burrage. "Oklahoma public higher education must continue to adapt to ensure our graduates are equipped with the skills required to thrive in the modern workforce. I look forward to working with the State Regents, our institutions, and other stakeholders to create more educational and career opportunities for all Oklahomans."
Born in Durant and raised in Antlers, Burrage is a member of the Choctaw Nation and holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and a juris doctorate from OU. He and his wife, Julie, a Tulsa native and nonprofit consultant, have four sons.
Under Burrage's leadership, Southeastern streamlined operations, including establishing a shared vice president position with Murray State College, and significantly increased both undergraduate and graduate enrollment.
During his tenure as a state senator, Burrage represented approximately 80,000 constituents, authored or co-authored over 50 bills that were enacted into law, and served on several legislative committees and task forces, including the 2008 legislative task force on Oklahoma's Promise.
Burrage has been a member of numerous boards and committees, including the State Regents' Blueprint 2030 Strategic Planning Committee and the 2017 Task Force on the Future of Higher Education; Gov. Mary Fallin's Education Advisory Committee; the Rogers State University Foundation; the University Hospitals Authority and Trust; and the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. He served as associate bar examiner for the Oklahoma Bar Association and was named among the Best Lawyers in America and as a Super Lawyer, both designations conferred by his peers. He was a Litigation Counsel of America Fellow and an Aspen-Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership. In 2007, he was voted the Higher Education Alumni Council's "Best Newcomer Legislator of the Year."
To fill the position, the State Regents established a search committee, comprised of Casey, Regent Jeffrey W. Hickman, Regent Steven W. Taylor and Regent Courtney Warmington, who developed the position profile that outlined the qualifications sought in the next chancellor and conducted the national search.
About the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
The State Regents are the constitutional coordinating board for the 25 public colleges and universities of the Oklahoma state system of higher education. The State Regents prescribe academic standards of higher education; determine functions and courses of study at state colleges and universities; grant degrees; request appropriations on behalf of state system institutions; set tuition and fees; approve institutional allocations; upon review, provide final approval of institutional budgets following governing board approval and submission; and manage numerous scholarships and special programs. The nine citizens who comprise the board are appointed to nine-year terms by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate.